“Patriotism for me is
serving my motherland
beyond my gender, sexual-
ityandreligion.Though
peopledonotunderstand
transgenderpersonsand
transpeoplearequiteoften
neglectedinpoliciesand
welfare,wenevercompro-
miseinourloyaltytowards
thenation.Indiaisacoun-
trythataccordsdignityto
transgendersbytouching
theirfeetandseekingtheir
blessings.Itisthefirst
countrytoacknowledge
transgenderpeopleasthe
‘thirdgender’.Itdecriminal-
isedsame-sexbehaviour
lastyear.Today,asParlia-
menttalksabouttransgen-
derwelfareandinclusiv-
ity,Ifeelempoweredand
thankfultotheamazing
countryIbelongto.”ABDULLAMOLLAH, 50
ClassIVteacheratanunregistered
madrassainBanglamore,South 24
Parganas,WestBengalABHINA AHER, 43
Associate Director, gender sexuality
and rights, Alliance India“We have fought for the
independence of our country.
So many people from our
community, from Delhi to
Deoband, gave up their lives
fighting the British. This
country belongs to us as well.
To us, our country is like our
home. We will do whatever
is required to protect our
home against external
attacks—they could come
from anywhere in the world.
If our country demands our
blood, the way Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose did, we will
not hesitate. Jehad is not
any religious warfare, it is a
struggle for self-control and
self-betterment.”KANCHA ILAIAH
SHEPHERD, 66
Author and Dalit activist“Patriotism to me means
respecting the productive
masses of my nation along
with their social cultures.
Our civilisation began with
the Harappans, not the
Rigveda. I am a descendant
of Harappans, not Aryans.
The same civilisation exists
in Indian villages and urban
centres today. In between came
the theories that God created us
unequal. Harappans believed
that food comes out of mud and
a baby comes out of a mother’s
amniotic fluids. Hence, for any
patriot, neither menstrual
blood nor Dalit leather work is
impure or untouchable.”YASIR IQBAL
BANDEEP SINGH